From a distance, Tony and his group stood observing the small town shrouded under the blackened sky and the orange demonic summoning circle, unsure whether to proceed inside.
Peter Parker broke the silence. "So… are we just going to stand here and watch?"
Natasha, clutching her arm where Hawkeye's arrow had grazed her earlier, replied, "Unless you've got a better plan, I'd rather not risk getting taken out by our own people. Let's wait until Mr. Garus handles that demon. Then we can go in."
The events earlier had left everyone shaken. None of them had been prepared for the illusions that ensnared them, not even Tony, whose AI assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. had been unable to snap him out of it.
Suddenly, the energy field surrounding the town dissipated. Seizing the opportunity, Tony activated his Iron Man armor and led the charge inside.
The scene that greeted them was one of utter devastation—shattered buildings, mutilated corpses, and the overwhelming stench of decay.
Even battle-hardened agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., accustomed to countless missions, struggled to stomach the carnage. For Peter, a mere high schooler, it was far worse. He stumbled to a corner and vomited violently.
With the demonic circle destroyed, the town's electronic systems gradually flickered back to life.
Garus dialed a number on his phone, contacting Wilson Fisk, and awaited the arrival of the promised helicopter.
When the group reached the town center, they were confronted with a hundred-meter-wide clearing where there had once been a plaza and buildings. The ground was coated with a fine layer of white ash.
Natasha spotted the box in Garus's hand and called out, "Mr. Garus!"
Garus turned, already guessing what she wanted. "The Tesseract? Tell Fury to come find me."
With that, Garus and Blonsky boarded the arriving helicopter.
As they surveyed the hellish ruins of the town, Tony remained silent. His thrusters roared to life, and he took off toward New York.
Still pale, Peter turned to Barton. "Mr. Barton… are missions like this going to be common?"
He struggled to find the words.
Clint patted his shoulder and said with a smirk, "Kid, you'll get used to it."
Ignoring Peter's horrified expression, Clint dialed Fury. "Director Fury, the target has been neutralized, but the Tesseract is now in Garus's possession. He's asking for you to retrieve it personally."
Nick Fury sat in his office, a deep frown etched on his face. The death of hundreds in a single town was already a nightmare, but now the Tesseract had fallen into Garus's hands.
The last time a similar incident occurred, Alexander Pierce had managed to cover it up for him. This time, Fury doubted anyone would come to his aid.
As he brooded, the screen before him lit up, revealing several members of the World Security Council.
"Fury," one of them began, "I hear you've lost the Tesseract. Care to explain?"
Another chimed in, "And who is this Garus? Does he have connections to the thief who initially stole the Tesseract?"
Fury suppressed a sigh, unwilling to confront their sources of information. "The Tesseract was taken by another party. I'll handle its retrieval."
"Fine," one council member replied. "And what about your Avengers initiative? Can you control them?"
Fury's response carried a hint of bitterness. "Do you honestly think I can control Tony Stark? And Spider-Man is just a high school kid."
"I don't care about your excuses. Superpowered individuals must be registered. The destruction of two towns and the havoc in New York caused by that giant's battle make it clear we need tighter control. Registration is non-negotiable."
Another council member added, "Oh, and I'm sending you a dossier on mutants. Find the unregistered ones."
Before Fury could respond, the screen went black. "Idiots," he muttered under his breath.
Register people like Ghost Rider, Garus, or Mephisto, who had just annihilated an entire town? A ludicrous thought.
Sighing, Fury opened the dossier they had sent. It contained details on just over a dozen mutants.
Maria Hill entered the room, seemingly aware of Fury's recent conversation. "Director, relying on the Avengers to solve these issues seems increasingly untenable."
"We'll discuss that later," Fury replied. "For now, I need to recover the Tesseract."
At home, Garus opened the case containing the Tesseract, marveling at the immense power emanating from it. Yet, for all its might, he could not harness its energy.
The sudden roar of an engine pulled him from his thoughts. A Quinjet descended into his garden, flattening the surrounding plants with its backdraft.
Sighing in dismay at the damage to his greenery, Garus headed downstairs to greet Fury, who was stepping out of the aircraft.
"Couldn't you have used the driveway like a normal guest?" Garus quipped.
Fury got straight to the point. "You knew I'd come. The Tesseract is too dangerous for anyone to keep, and you can't use it. Holding onto it isn't a wise choice."
"And S.H.I.E.L.D. can protect it better?" Garus shot back. "Don't forget, a demon stole it from under your noses, slaughtering an entire town in the process. I was the one who reclaimed it."
Fury didn't rise to the bait. "Name your terms. We need the Tesseract back to continue our research."
"I'll hand it over, but I have two conditions," Garus replied.
Fury narrowed his eye. "Name them."
"First, I want a copy of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mutant registry."
Fury's expression darkened. "That's classified information. How do you even know about it?"
"Are you agreeing or not?" Garus pressed.
After a moment's hesitation, Fury relented. "Fine. And the second condition?"
"The next time your incompetence lets someone steal the Tesseract, don't expect me to return it."
Fury didn't understand Garus's intent but eventually nodded. "Agreed. Now hand it over."
Once he verified the contents of the case, Fury departed, eager to leave the grim scene behind.
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